His introductory and closing addresses — notably the latter, on 'Church Life in Scotland: Retrospect and Prospect' (Edinburgh, 1890), with its touching reminiscences — were fine in feeling and graceful in form. In his moderator's year he was much occupied throughout Scotland, reopening churches, introducing organs, and so on, showing everywhere unfailing tact, urbanity, and sincerity. One of his last public services was the reopening, on 11 July 1894, of the renovated church of St. Cuthbert's, Edinburgh — one of the oldest ecclesiastical edifices in Scotland — his address on the occasion being adequately archaiological, and graced with a fine literary flavour. Early in 1895 he was seriously ill, but recovered, only to lose the devoted wife who had nursed him back to health. In the winter of 1898-9 he had a recurrence of ill-health and went to Bournemouth to recruit. Here he resumed work on sermons and essays, but in the evening of 1 March 1899 he died of misadventure, having taken carbolic lotion in mistake for a sleeping-draught. He was interred in the cathedral burying-ground, St. Andrews.
Boyd married, in 1854, Margaret Buchanan, eldest daughter of Captain Kirk (71st regiment) of Carrickfergus, Ireland. She predeceased him in 1895. In 1897 he married, for the second time, Janet Balfour, daughter of Mr. Leslie Meldrum, Devon, Clackmannan, She survived him, with five sons and one daughter of his first wife's family.
Clear, precise, and definite in his habits, Boyd, both professionally and socially, was entirely unconventional and independent. A close and shrewd observer, with quick grasp of character and a humorous sense tinged with cynicism, he was always fresh and attractive — and not seldom brilliant — as preacher, writer, or conversationalist. His sermons were literary and practical rather than dogmatic; his essays, although often commonplace in thought and expression, caught the attention by their common sense, their easy allusiveness, and transparency of style; and his brisk unflagging talk was enriched with endless and apposite anecdotes, although it was not devoid of a certain overbearing element. 'I came to the conclusion,' says Sir Edward Russell, 'that he was almost, if not quite, the greatest raconteur I had ever known' (That reminds Me, p. 138). His best books resemble his conversation, and his autobiographical reminiscences are exceptionally realistic and outspoken.
Boyd wrote and published much. The following volumes contain his most notable literary and didactic work: 1. 'Recreations of a Country Parson,' three series, 1859-61-78, each running into many editions. 2. 'Graver Thoughts of a Country Parson,' three series, 1802-5-75. 3. 'Leisure Hours in Town,' 1862. 4. 'The Commonplace Philosopher in Town and Country,' 1862-4. 5. 'Counsel and Comfort spoken from a City Pulpit,' 1863. 6. 'Autumn Holidays of a Country Parson,' 1864. 7. 'Critical Essays of a Country Parson,' 1865. 8. 'Sunday Afternoons in the Parish Church of a University City,' 1866. 9. 'Lessons of Middle Age, and some Account of various Cities and Men,' 1868. 10. 'Changed Aspects of Unchanged Truths,' 1869. 11. 'Present-day Thoughts,' 1871. 12. 'Seaside Musings on Sundays and Week-days,' 1872, 13. 'Scotch Communion Sunday,' 1873. 14. 'Landscapes, Churches, and Moralities,' 1874. 15. ' From a Quiet Place,' 1879. 16. 'Our Little Life : Essays Consolatory,' two series, 1882-4. 17. 'Towards the Sunset; Teachings after Thirty Years,' 1882. 18. 'What set him Right; with Chapters to Help,' 1885-8. 19. 'Our Homely Comedy and Tragedy,' 1887. 20. 'The Best Last; with other Papers,' 1888. 21 and 22. 'To meet the Day, and East Coast Days and Memories,' 1889. In 1892 Boyd published, in two volumes, the first instalment of his reminiscences, or transcripts from his minute and faithful diaries, entitled 'Twenty-five Years of St. Andrews.' This was followed in 1894 by a similar work, 'St. Andrews and Elsewhere.' In 1895 appeared a volume of the earlier style, with the characteristically descriptive title, 'Occasional and Immemorial Days.' The record closes in 1896 with the 'Last Years of St. Andrews,' a continuation of the autobiographical series, with its curious personal revelations and frank character sketches.
[Information from Boyd's son, Mr. F. N. Boyd; Scotsman, Dundee Advertiser, and other daily papers of 3 March 1899; St. Andrews Citizen, People's Journal, and other Fife papers of 4 March 1899; Principal Story in Life and Work Magazine for May 1899; Mrs. Oliphant's Memoir of Principal Tulloch, pp. 369, 476; Men of the Reign; Mr. Andrew Lang in Longman's Magazine for May 1899; personal knowledge.]
BRABOURNE, Baron. [See Knatchbull-Hugessen, Edward Hugessen, 1829–1893.]
BRACKENBURY, CHARLES BOOTH (1831–1890), major-general, born in London on 7 Nov. 1831, was third son of William Brackenbury of Aswardby, Lincolnshire, by Maria, daughter of James Atkinson of
